The runner on first base steals second while the batter enters the batter's box with a bat that has been altered. What is the penalty?

• A. The play stands and the batter is instructed to secure a legal bat.
• B. The ball is immediately dead. The batter is declared out and the runner is returned to first base.
• C. The runner is declared out and the batter is ejected.
• D. No penalty may be imposed until the defense appeals the illegal bat.

Answer: (B)

Using an altered bat is illegal, and the rule treats it as an immediate violation. The moment the batter enters the box with an altered bat, the ball becomes dead, the batter is declared out, and all baserunners must return to the bases they occupied at the time of the pitch. In this situation, the runner who started on first and tried to steal second must go back to first, and the batter is out. The stolen base does not stand, and there’s no need for an appeal process to apply the penalty.